My comments are based upon (3) Honda's owned thus far, which indicates a design trend as opposed to an isolated failure. Although all three have exhibited similar deficiencies, to be fair, I will only report on the 94 in this article.
These cars are cheaply-built, poorly designed vehicles.
I purchased these as a result of the "reputation" this brand seems to have. I can't figure out why people rave about them and all their qualities. I'm starting to wonder if this isn't a PR campaign, or the owners just don't know any better. Sure, it rides nice, but I hate the car! I have never said this about any car I have owned in the past. The engine is noisy (valves tap). I was under the impression valve adjustments were a thing of the past. Not so with the variable valve timing in this engine. I hear it needs to be done on a regular basis. The metal body work is so thin it dents too easily. The metal around the rear fender wells rusts. The muffler sound is too noisy under certain RPM/gear ratios. The automatic transmission is horrible. It
shifts at the wrong times, wasting gas. First gear is virtually useless, as it automatically shifts out in about
1 second. The air-conditioning system is a joke! It is not cold, merely not warm. The speakers sound crummy. I've heard cheap table radios that sound better. The painted black trim work around the windows rubs off and make the vehicle look old. The electric door locks attempt to keep re-locking themselves after you leave the vehicle. Under certain lighting conditions, there is an aweful glare on the windshield from the sun striking the dashboard and reflecting back, making it hard to see and drive safely. Finally, everything on this vehicle seems cheap and designed to barely work. When attempting to repair something, usually something else breaks in the process. Be prepared to shell out big $$$ when something breaks - repairs on Honda's are expensive. Also, it is difficult to judge front and rear parking distances, causing you to damage the bumpers.
Amount Paid (US$): 5500
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1994
Model and Options: EX 4 door